Distance Education Tools

Video, Screencasts, Videoconferencing, Podcasting

Some exemplary examples of screencasts
- Salman Khan academyvideos on youtube
  - http://chronicle.com/article/A-Self-Appointed-Teacher-Runs/65793/
- Common Craft videos (like wikis in plain english and so forth)
- RSA Animate videos on youtube
Chareen Snelson's Youtube and video/audio editing resources:
- http://edtech.boisestate.edu/snelsonc/youtube.html
Exemplary videos and animations: documentaries, history, science, etc.
- http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/01/100-best-free-science-documentaries-online/
- Powers of Tenvideo and related resources
  - Research article about the learning gains from that video: http://www.springerlink.com/content/g5964u74t2005j10/
- University of Utah: Amazing Cells
Research articles/white papers on using video in instruction:
- The positive effects of using instructor-made videos/screencasts: http://jolt.merlot.org/vol5no3/rose_0909.htm
- Effective lecture capture: http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no27.pdf
- The anatomy of a screencast: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/851/1594
- more articles:
  - Oehrli, J., Piacentine, J., Peters, A., and Nanamaker, B. (2011). Do Screencasts Really Work? Assessing Student Learning through Instructional Screencasts. Association of College and Research Libraries Conference.
  - Pressley, L. (2008). Using Videos to Reach Site Visitors: A TOOLKIT FOR TODAY'S STUDENT. Computers in Libraries, 28(6), 18-22.
  - Brown-Sica, M., Sobel, K., and Pan, D. (2009). Learning for All: Teaching Students, Faculty, and Staff with Screencasting. Public Services Quarterly 5(2), 81-97.
Technology needed for making videos/screencasts
- Video camera or webcam (not needed for screencasts - it records the screen, not you)
  - Video camera - flip video cameras are very small and relatively affordable. See this document for ideas on how to use flip cameras with your students: http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dhn2vcv5_6tv55j7g9
  - or use a webcam (most laptops/netbooks have one built-in now). There are 2.0 megapixel webcams if you want a little higher quality (default is usually 1.3 or 0.3 on netbooks).
- Microphone (needed to narrate your screencast)
  - Your video camera or webcam already has a microphone built-in. But if you want higher quality audio though, try a USB microphone (such as from Logitech). The snowball microphones though are even higher quality.
Tools for making your own screencast:
- Some free options
  - Browser-based
    - Screencast-o-matic
    - Screenr
  - Download
    - Jing
- Commercial
  - Camtasia
Places that can host your videos for free
- Youtube- 15 minute limit
  - What I did was create a separate google/youtube account to make a channel for my class: http://www.youtube.com/user/internetdevusu
  - Advantages: very easy to caption your videos, this is the most popular video site, etc.
- Blip.tv- no limit
  - In an earlier version of my web development class I used blip.tv: http://internetdev.blip.tv/ and I probably will go back to it since I didn't have to worry about time limits, you can create separate channels with one account, and the quality was high all the time.
- Vimeo- no limit
  - Some instructors use vimeo, such as http://vimeo.com/jrhode
Video Editing
- Free
  - iMovie (mac)
  - Moviemaker (windows)
  - OpenShot, Pitivi (linux)
- Commercial
  - Avid
  - Final Cut Pro
  - Adobe Premiere
- Browser-based video editing (usually you upload the unedited video first, then edit it)
  - JayCut
  - Youtube Editor
Broadcasting your class or conference online (you can broadcast from an iphone or android phone, too)
- Ustream.tv
- Qik.com
Videoconferencing. In addition to the expensive systems, you can videoconference easily with Skypenow (or Google Talk or Yahoo Chat or MSN Chat). One popular use is to have guest speakers talk with your class remotely.
Video discussions - asynchronous
- See Seesmic Video
- I think there are other tools, too
http://www.livemocha.com/
http://www.teachers.tv/
Audio podcasting
- http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/10-free-audio-programs-to-use-for-e-learning/